it's not your fault
by Sha-Sha-Shadow
Summary: Ryou never beleived in much, he was too busy trying to keep his father from beating him to death to care, focheantly for nim he's about to meet a vampier who knows just exactly what it feels like to be worthless  RyouxBakura
1. Chapter 1

**warnings: torture, OCs (don't let that discourage you!), guyXguy**

_There are things in this world that humanity has forgotten, _

_Things we ride off as myths and superstitions._

_Things that are terrifying_

_Things that are very real _

* * *

"I just don't believe in the ghosts or undead!" I replied running my fingers threw my long silver hair. I don't know how, but I landed myself in a heated debate about the existence of ghosts.

"How do you not believe in ghost?" Joey asked.

"I just don't!" I replied. "Like, the way some people don't believe in God"

"_Do _you believe in God?" Yugi asked.

"I have my days…" I replied.

Suddenly there was a sort of soft cackle coming from the desk in front of me.

"You know Marik, if you want to be a part of the conversation, you could turn around and talk to us, instead of listening in on us like a stalker," I replied sappily.

"Oh, _Ryou_, you know as well as I do, I can't stand you! I just find your little masquerade to be funny!" Marik laughed, putting an unnecessary enfaces on my name that drove me insane with annoyance.

"What masquerade?" I asked tossing my hair over my shoulders, then immediately pulling it back when I remembered the bruise on the crook of my neck.

"This new one, about how you aren't scared of Ghosts!" he replied.

"You can't be scared of something that doesn't exist!" I scoffed, wondering how much he knew I was lying about.

"Then prove it!" he replied. "Spend the night in the old town cemetery!"

"Alright," I said without giving it a second thought, because honestly I wasn't scared of the cemetery, and I would do just about anything to prove Marik wrong! "I don't know how you'll know I spent the entire night, though…" I said pointing out an obvious flaw in his plan, which I could have easily exploited if I didn't want to be difficult today.

"True," he replied, I could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to work out a critical flaw in his plan.

"Why don't you two go together?" Tea asked. I cringed, there was no way in hell I would spend any more time with Marik than I already did.

"Sounds like a plan!" Marik replied. I felt like jumping over my desk and strangling him right then and there.

"NO!" I yelled. "No way in hell!"

Marik narrowed his eyes, knowing very well that he was getting under my skin. "You're not afraid of _me _now are you, _Ryou_?" he almost giggled.

"You're going to find a whole lot of random crap in your hair tonight!" I hissed. "And if you want to play that little game, fine, come with me, name the date and time!"

"Tonight, 10'oclock!" he replied.

_Good!_ I thought _that should give me more than enough time! _"That'll be fine!"

* * *

It was Thursday, which meant one thing to me: voice lessons, so I changed out of my uniform into my running clothes, and ran home, to save time.

I knew the path well: down the street, hang a _sharp_ left at the bus stop, or you'll run into the wall of the giant fanatical building, cross the street immediately, all the cars will stop for you, run up the steps of the post office, don't get distracted by the flock pigeons that you'll inevitably have to run threw, go into the post office, greet the security guards, so he doesn't think you're up to no good, and come out the other side, if you're lucky, you can catch the dart train, if not, you run alongside the tracks, when you get to the suburbs, jump the chain-link fence that surrounded the elementary school play ground, and go threw the school yard, run a few blocks, and make a right at the cemetery, then the next left, and you're there!

I walked up the path way that lead to my house, panting a little from my -maybe- one mile run, I took a quick shower and started dinner, I grabbed a 'ready-in-a-minuet' dinner from the freezer and pulled a pan out of the cupboard, and began to prepare dinner.

I stirred the vegetable around impatiently, checking my watch every now and then; I didn't have much time left! In my haste, I under cooked the vegetables, and somehow managed to burn the rice (a/n burned rice dose not taste very good!); I left it in the pan and placed it on the dining room table. I was going to pay for that later, but I couldn't be late!

I grabbed my old tattered jacket and the stack of sheet music from the back of the couch and headed out the back door, as I heard my father pull into the dive way, I jumped the small chain link fence of our backyard, and with an inhuman covertness, I slipped back around to the front of the house, without my father even knowing I had just left.

* * *

I don't know why, but my voice teacher lived in the giant white house in the middle of the cemetery that the grounds keeper used to live in way back when, I assumed it was because rent was supper cheep, and it was a _nice _house. I pulled my key ring out of my jacket pocket, and unlocked the large wooden door, I pushed all my weight against it and it slowly slid open.

"I'm here!" I yelled my voice echoing through the giant house. I pulled my jacket off and hung it on the antique coat rack that sat in the corner by the door, and continued down the hall. I pushed open another door and walked into a large room with nothing in it except a grand piano, a blue tin water bottle that sat atop the piano, a music stand, and an acoustic guitar . I set a stack of music down on the stand, and put a lot of work into adjusting the old piece of junk so I could see the music and at the same time my teacher (it didn't help that the person who had lessons before me was maybe 6-feet-tall). I looked around, seeing my teacher still hadn't appeared, I sat down at the piano, tenderly running my fingers of the ivory keys, muttering the notes under my breath.

"Are you planning on steeling my business boy?" I jumped, accidentally banged to hard on the keys.

I spun around coming face to face with my voice teacher. "Hello, Bakura!" I replied, hoping off the piano bench. (A classical singer never sits while singing)

"How are you today Ryou?" he asked, taking my former place.

"I got a D on my entrance exams, I had to run home, and I'm spending the night in the cemetery with a guy from school I really don't like, so not well!" I replied.

"None of that explains the blue hand-shaped mark on your shoulder!" Bakura replied not looking up from the piano (he was checking to see if I knocked anything out of tune), I quickly flipped my hair over the mark, I had a flash back to my father grabbing me and violently shaking my till I was dizzy.

"Well… I tripped down the stairs… and my dad caught me-by the neck!"

He gave me a scolding look; he obviously knew I was lying. "Ryou, I've met your father, there is no way he has the reflected or the strength to catch you like that!"

I gave him pleading look_: don't make me tell you, please? _"Well, that's what happened…" I replied, sticking to my guns.

Suddenly we were both alerted to the sound of hurried footsteps coming down the hall. "Bakura, Salem knocked over her water bole, where's the mop?" I looked up to see two girl now standing in the door way: one dressed in long a wife better that showed off her long, slender frame, bicker goggles, and baggy camouflage cargo pants, her soft black hair was feathered around her lower neck, with a thick yellow streak threw it, and her eyes were a hypnotizing deep green color that I would have thought were computer generated if she hadn't been standing right in front of me, I assumed she was Bakura's girlfriend. The second girl was wherein a draped shirt that hung down over her shoulder showing off her elegant shoulder line, and a silk skirt (dripping wet) that flowed like a water fall when she moved, she had softly curled snow white hair that spiraled down to her lower back, fair skin, and strangely beautiful grey eyes with little flecks of garnet in them, I knew she had to be closely related to Bakura somehow. "Oh, hi!" the first girl replied upon catching sight of me "Why didn't you tell me you had a girl over, is she from the university?"

"Mercy, Elizabeth, this is Ryou _he's_ one of my voice students." I saw Mercy's eyes widen and her cheeks turn dark as she realized her mistake, Elizabeth quietly giggled "Ryou, this is Mercy she's my… cousin, and Elizabeth my dau-sister they're visiting from Salem, and brought their pets with them!" Bakura replied. Mercy stuck out her hand, and I shook it.

"Just out of curiosity, have you ever read the Crucible?" I asked (A/N if you haven't read it, it's a pretty good story, but it's in play form, so be warned!) Mercy gave me an amused smile, Elizabeth rolled her eyes like that was the millionth time she had heard that one.

"Yes, and I dance naked in the woods as well, if that's your next question!" Mercy teased.

"Would that be why you showed up on my door step crying 'my parents kicked me out, can I stay with you?'?" Bakura replied his voice imitating Mercy's exactly. Mercy stuck her tong out. "I'll rip your tong out of your head, if you don't put it in your mouth this instant!" Bakura sounded like the overly strike father from a bad sitcom "the mop's in the broom closet, by the way" he played an interact cord on the piano, Mercy turned and left, but Elizabeth lingered a while longer, Bakura gave her a scolding look, but said nothing "let's start with 'Sure on this shining night' and work our way down from there," he told me. He finally waved Elizabeth off.

"It was nice meeting you Ryou!" she replied, before she disappeared into the hall way.

* * *

"Have a nice night, Ryou!" Bakura said, closing the heavy wooden door behind the petite teenage boy. He turned to Elizabeth, who was comfortably perched on a large plush blood red divan pretending to be fully captivated by the book she was reading, she looked almost silver, sitting in the moonlight the way she was, it was almost mesmerizing. She shifted slightly and the title off the book became visible in the moonlight "dealing with zombies"

"What are you thinking?" Bakura asked, sitting on the edge of an unoccupied area of the divan near his "sister's" feet. Elizabeth's eyes slowly lifted, to look her "brother" in the eyes; she cracked an all knowing smile.

"You like him!" she replied in a sing song tone. "I can't say I blame you!"

Bakura leaned forward and kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. "I take it you approve, _fillia_*"

"When has my disapproval ever stopped you, father?" Elizabeth replied.

* * *

I got home late; my dad hadn't forgotten about dinner, when I got home he was waiting for me, and he was livid!

"what the hell is this shit!" he yelled, throwing the pan of cold rice at my feet.

"'I-I'm sorry sir I-" a loud cracking noise echoed threw the room as my father smacked me across the face.

"You were to busy playing singer, with that faggot boyfriend of yours, to do me the small favor of making a meal, when I so graciously let a little disgrace like you live in my house!" he yelled, he hit me harder with every word "why do you do it? You'll never amount to anything, you stupid little failure!"

Tears mixed with blood as I lay flat on the floor in a heap of worthlessness and self loathing. _this was my fault! _I told myself _I brought this upon myself!_

* * *

I strolled up to the cemetery twenty minutes late; Marik was waiting for me out front. No doubt he was going to hold this over my head. "What took you so long, trying to calm your nerves or something?" he teased, but I wasn't in the mood.

"shut-up," I replied lamely trying to hide my face from him, who knows how he would react, I started down the cobblestone path that lead to the heart of the cemetery.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, I ignored him. "Hey, listen to me for a second!" he yelled I turned around halfway, still not showing my face.

"What is it then?" I asked coldly.

"There're a lot of… gangs who hang out around here, be careful," he replied.

"I live next door, Marik, I know!" I scoffed.

"Oh, you have no idea!" he muttered. I chose to ignore him, and walked on, taking a spot under a tree, were I was sure no one could see my black eye. Marik sat down across from me, leaning on a grave. We sat in silence for a while.

"You're too quiet, what's wrong?" Marik asked, this time with genuine concern in his voice that caught me off guard.

"Nothing I'm just tired!" I replied, hoping he would buy into it, but I was never a good liar.

Suddenly he reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me into the moon light, and his lap. I stared up at him, shocked, he brushed the silver hair out of my face, and grabbed my chin, and inspected my swollen eye. "I figured as much!" he replied. "Who is it?" he asked.

I pursed my lips and looked away. "I'm not telling!" I muttered. "I don't even like you!"

Suddenly he pulled me closer; closing the gap between our lips I widened my eyes. I was too shocked to pull away, as he gently kissed my lips, a rush of enjoyment came over me, and I returned the kiss, it wasn't until I felt his tong run over my bottom lip that I came to my since, my eyes snapped wide open and I pulled away, a pink tinge appearing on my cheek.

"I'm going for a walk!" I replied standing abruptly. I had to clear my head!

* * *

I walked in erratic patterns around the head stones things were _not _getting much clearer; I just couldn't understand these stupid emotions. Suddenly I was jolted from my deep contemplation by the sound of voices "hurry up, or we're going to get caught!" I quickly ducked behind a large tomb stone, not wanting to know what they intended to do with me if they found out I was there. I peered over the head stone, trying to see if they were still there. There were three of them; it appeared they were grave robbers, finishing up their last job.

I shrunk into a little ball, my breath hiking in my thought knowing full well what they would do to me if they found me, I had heard stories, I myself had actually once discovered the mutilated corps of a girl who had a nasty habit of walking around the cemetery at night. Suddenly I felt a cold sharp object under my chin that could have only been a knife. I closed my eyes and said a quick prayed. "Look what we have here!" he seized a handful of hair and haled me to my feet, still holding the knife to my throat I let out a loud yelp "We got an ease dropper!"

"No, please I didn't see anything I swear!" I yelled. "I was just passing b-ah!" I shrieked as my hair was violently pulled up and back.

"Shut-up!" the one who was holding me scolded, holding the knife tighter against my throat. I began to sob thinking of my impending death.

"Please don't, I won't say a thing, I swear to God, I don't want to die! I don't wa-" suddenly a rag was shoved into my moth, hindering my ability to scream or talk.

"If you didn't want to die, then you shouldn't have hung around the cemetery at night!" one of them laughed, running his knife along my cheek, drawling a fresh flow of blood. He cackled as he stared deep into my eyes, running the knife lightly over my neck and chest. This was it, I was going to die!

* * *

Elizabeth walked the cemetery that night as she did every night, because, well, that was between her and a herself for the moment. She didn't expect to find much, maybe the boys who had a nasty tendency to practice cannibalism. She didn't know that what she would really find would upset the balance of the graveyard society she was accustomed to.

She wandered aimlessly the cool fall air nipping at her bare feet, when she spotted someone, leaning against a headstone, it appeared he was sleeping, but he (or she) had his back to her. "hey you!" she said, barely raising her voice at all.

No answer.

She inched a little closer. "excuse me!"

Still nothing. She circled him, immediately recognizing the soft blond hair and caramel colored skin. She let out a frustrated exhale.

"Malik get up!" she yelled, he awoke with a start. Looking around sleepily.

"Oh, hey Copernica !" he replied. "been a while hasn't it?"

Her eyes darkened Marik (or Malik) cringed, he knew what was going to happen "been a while hasn't it?" she repeated "that's all you've got to say? You left me in the middle of FUCKING nowhere and all you can say is BEEN A WHILE?" she yelled.

"… I'm sorry?"

"Oh, Fuck you!" Elisabeth hissed turning away.

"come on Copernica, you don't"

"That's not my name!" she yelled "that's what _he _called me!"

"I don't appreciate you talking about-" suddenly a loud scream ripped threw the night air.

"God what was that?" Elizabeth asked.

"oh crap, come on!" Marik replied running in the direction of the scream.

* * *

I closed my eyes and began to pray for some kind of miracle, as I listened to them argue about how to kill me! It took an agonizingly long time before I figured out my miracle had arrived.

"I thought I made myself very clear last time," Elizabeth said, great, my savior was a 5 foot tall collage student in a low cut shirt ",you only feed off the dead, and I wouldn't tell my dad you're on our turf!" I opened my eyes _only feed off the dead? _

"Screw you, Elizabeth!" one of them yelled, I shot a glance at Elizabeth, she didn't seem fazed, in fact she had an evil smile plastered on her face, then suddenly she vanished from my field off vision, and reappeared in front of one of my captors, it was at this time I noticed her extremely long, claw-like blacks fingernails.

"would you care to repeat that, Bones?" she asked digging her claws into the soft flesh under his chin and lifting him off the ground, blood dripping down her arm. "I don't think I heard you right!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Bones yelled, "I won't do it again!"

Elizabeth shot me a glance "I'm sorry, but you've taken it too far this time" she replied "I'm telling my dad!"

"you'll have to catch us first!" one of them yelled, hastily stick the knife into my lower abdominal before running off. I fell over on my side and screamed into the gag, Elizabeth ran over and undid the gag, I let an agonizing scream rip out of my throat.

"sh, don't worry Ryou, it's gonna be okay!" she said in a soothing voice, running her fingers threw my hair, suddenly I felt like I wasn't in my own body anymore, as if I wasn't feeling pain anymore.

Suddenly Marik appeared out off no where, wiping his hand together. "well they'll be there until _daddy _wants to deal with them-"

"Shut-up and come help me explain this to my dad!" Elizabeth yelled, picking me up.

"honey, he is going to _kill_ us no matter what you say!" Marik replied, as Elizabeth started making her way back to Bakura's house.


	2. Chapter 2

_A clatter of wood on stone _

_A sharp short scream of a little girl_

_A fathers frantic cry_

_

* * *

_

The next time I open my eyes I was in someone's bedroom-someone's bed!- However it wasn't mine, their seemed to be a more feminine air to this room, it was clean looking, and very large, everything I could make out was some shade of pail blue, pink, purple, or cream colored, in the corner there appeared to be a sitting area, with two large plush arm chairs and one of those fancy one armed couches, with what at first appeared to be a reddish brown blanket draped over it, but as my eyes focused on it, I noticed the slight motions of a sleeping person, witch only added to my I got up and moved toward him/her. My legs shook profusely as I walked, and for whatever reason these people kept the room freezing cold, I looked upon the person in deep slumber and realized it was Elizabeth, though she painted a very different picture from the day earlier (as she seemed to do almost everything I saw her). This time she reeked of sweat, blood, and I got about arms length from her, her eyes flew open, and she had me around the neck before either of us had time to processes the situation."oh, Ryou I'm sorry!" she replied, her garnet eyes softening from murderous to apologetic when she realized what was happening, she let her hands slide from my neck to my shoulders "I didn't know you where awake!" she replied, she sat me down on the couch and drew back the citrons, letting in the grey light of an overcast day. She had blood caked in her hair, and on her face, chest and arms, I wondered about the grave robbers from that night: was that their blood? "Are you hungry?" she asked in a gentle voice.I shook my head no."dose your wound hurt?" she asked, eyes trained on the stitched up gash that rested just above my hip that looked like it would be causing me a horrible amount of pain, but surprisingly, I felt nothing at all- she must have given me something for the pain."I feel fine" I replied."Well, your not!" she said, "You still have a fever. I didn't sterilize my equipment well enough, and you got an infection, you were delirious for the past few days, it took me a while to track down the proper medicines, it's really all my fault...""Oh" that is all I could say. Elizabeth was being scarily honest."Your father came!" she said. _God, that wasn't his blood, was it? _"Apparently you don't have health insurance" she stared at me for a while it seemed she knew, maybe her and Bakura's parents beat them, and they know what's been happening to me. She took my hand in hers "you have a choice you know... You're 18 after all!" She wasn't looking at me anymore instead she was focusing on a spot on the floor- she was feeling guilty about a moment we sat in silence, before she noticed I was shivering, "you should get back to bed!" she replied, helping me back across the room to the comfort of the large 4-post bed. "Do you need anything?" she asked.

"Yes, for you to shower!"

Both of us jumped at the beep voice that emanated from the doorway.

"Uh, fa-Bakura! You're still home!" Elizabeth gasped, "I thought you would be at work by now!"

"I work from home, Elizabeth; you're the one who should be at work." Bakura replied flatly.

"It's not called for today!" she replied, "besides, you have a very limited knowledge of medical remedies, if Ryou was to suddenly get worse, and I was all the way across town, well then he might-"

"Speaking of Ryou…" Bakura help up a hand, to silence Elizabeth "how are you feeling?"

There was a long pause, as my mind didn't process the fact that Bakura was talking to me, until Elizabeth pointed it out: "He's talking to you, sweet heart!" she said sweetly.

"Oh, sorry- I feel okay I guess!"

"You know Elizabeth; sometimes I wish you would act like most girls your age and care about your appearance and body odder!" Bakura replied, most likely hinting she badly needed some kind of bath. "Besides, what if you were needed at work-"

Bakura was interrupted by a series of loud beeps.

"You Fucking Jinx!" Elizabeth huffed; she walked over to the dresser and picked up a pager, and scanned over what it said. "I have to go to work now!" she replied, leaving the room in a hurry.

"Shower first, Dr. Evil!"

"What dose she do anyways?" I asked kind of on accident.

"She's a mortician and a criminal profiler for some private organization that solves brutal murders, she wont say it, but she's excited to have a patent that'll talk back to her for once" Bakura half-laughed.

"Technically they all talk back, I just don't have to slice Ryou open to find out what I want to know, at least not yet anyways!" this time it was Bakura's turn to jump, as Elizabeth mysteriously rematerialized in the door way, twisting her sopping wet, long, white hair into perfect little ringlets, a long black jacket resting around her shoulders over a crisp white dress, and spiky black high heals. She looked so clean she was almost glowing. "oh, don't mind me, I'm just getting my hat!" she replied whimsically picking up an old floppy black leather hat with a vibrant red feather stuck in it "keep him hydrated!" she added before leaving the room, again.

Bakura leaned against the doorframe one hand on his head. "Would you mind if I lay down?" he asked. I nodded meekly and he took the spot on the bed beside me. "I'm sorry, it's just that not all my students are as promising as say you" he replied. "In fact most of them shouldn't be allowed to sing period!"

"Not even karaoke?" I replied mockingly.

He laughed. "Do you have any questions?" he asked.

"About what?" I asked. Then I suddenly remembered last night, a few vocal clips, I wondered about their meaning. "Who were those people who attacked me?"

"Grave robbers, with a strange cannibalism fetish"

"Were are they now?"

"In a mental institute getting the help they need"

"Why doesn't Elizabeth shower?"

"She dose, she just felt guilty for letting you get hurt, and wouldn't leave your side"

"Why did she have claws?"

"Prosthetic nails, she lost one in that guy's chin and tore them off"

"Isn't that painful?"

"I don't know, I'm not a girl"

Bakura did well until my last question "dose your dad live with you?" I asked.

I saw the look of fearful shock that played across his face for a split second before he composed himself "our father owns the cemetery, he wanted the both of us to live here, the hope was that with two active grounds keepers the crime rate would go down, we get crap every time someone dies especially if they're friends." he replied.

"You know, most people aren't this honest," I said it was somewhat strange I was used to the daily deceptions of high school, were everyone lied to everyone, and their was no real way of knowing what was real unless I was their.

"If I'm not honest with you, how could I expect the same?" Bakura replied. Then he kissed me, gently on the lips.

* * *

Elizabeth walked briskly into the coffee shop, as she always did before her… workday started. She pulled the $10.56 out of her pocket and placed it on the counter.

The pretty blond haired, blue eyed collage girl with a name tag that read Ray behind the counter smiled at her "good morning Elizabeth! I didn't think I'd see you today!" they knew each by name, but Ray had no idea what Elizabeth did for a living.

"me neither!" Elizabeth replied with a little smile.

"medium black coffee, medium Mayan chocolate mocha late with extra cream?" she replied.

"Ray, my friend, I've been coming here too long!" she replied with a light laugh.

In reality, Elizabeth saw Ray as nothing but a threat -it had nothing to do with her in general because she was quite a nice girl- it had to do with the tiny cross tattooed just under her left eye.

When Ray placed the two cups in front of her, Elizabeth replied "Thank you…" lifting one of the cups to her lips, her strange red eyes flickering up to meet Ray's large blue grey ones "Vampirdzhija*!" she added.

Then she left the coffee shop, leaving Ray wide eyed, and opened mouthed.

* * *

*Vampirdzhija: technical name for vampire hunter/ language of origin: Bulgarian (I think)

* * *

Mercy crossed the yellow tape, and served the crime seen: a blood splattered back ally, and the body of a dead collage student who was once very handsome, now mangled beyond any recognition, eyes still wide with fear. "poor baby!" she muttered under her breath, before she yelled "No one touch anything until my mortician gets here!"

"Um, excuse me ma'am, this is a crime seen, your not allowed here!" a man in a blue uniform snapped.

She held out her badge, just as Elizabeth ducked under the tape. "Dr. Pena, please explain to officer…" she took a quick glance at his badge "Curtis, why he should let the two of us take charge of this case!"

"Right!" Elizabeth replied handing Mercy her coffee, then she turned to officer Curtis, and narrowed her eyes "Sir, can you answer me this question: do you have children?"

"yes ma'am, two boys!" he replied.

"and do you love your two boys?" Elizabeth asked.

"yes ma'am, very much!"

"well, if this boy was killed by the person I think he was, and you cross him; he wont hesitate to make them die a slow painful death!" Elizabeth replied before turning and walking away briskly to join Mercy as she continued to survey the crime seen.

"signs of a struggle," Mercy replied.

"thanks for the update Captain Obvious!" Elizabeth replied, tying back her hair, and pulling on a pair of rubber gloves.

"you're welcome Dr. Sarcasm!" Mercy replied.

Elizabeth bent down and slid the boy's eye lids shut, before retrieving his wallet. She opened it, and pulled out his drivers license, "the victims name is Dylan West!" she replied then searched threw it until she found what she was looking for, an inky black business card with a red metallic bird painted on it.

"Well?" Mercy asked.

She held it up and Mercy dropped her head and let out a sigh. "get Dylan here to autopsy!" Mercy replied. "Find next of kin!"

* * *

As the day progressed Bakura had to return to work, and I occupied my time by wander around the halls looking at the photos that hung on the walls as I tried to solve the case of the grounds keepers' father.

Their were a lot of hallways and thus a lot of pictures.

One depicted a teenaged Elizabeth with much shorter hair dressed in a Confederacy uniform with her arm slung around an African American boy in a big floppy hat, I assumed they were those people who recreated battles from the Civil War.

Another showed a toddler Mercy and a boy maybe a little older than her with the same green eyes and long black hair, I assumed he was her older brother, both dressed in their Sunday best sitting on a park bench.

There were several pictures of Bakura, even Marik (which I found a little odd), and their were several pictures of the youngest 3 together, but there weren't any pictures of anyone's mother or father, and further more there very few pictures of Bakura and Elizabeth together, in fact there was only one was a fairly resent picture of them sitting on the couch in the living room glaring at the camera man.

Suddenly I became aware of o low growling sound coming from behind me. I turned around to see a giant grey and white wolf like creature with eerie yellow eyes, crouching in a near by door way, the hair on his neck standing up straight.

I froze. Normally when a dog attacked me, it was small enough for me to over power it, but there was no way in hell I would be able to stop this dog if she decided to attack.

"good puppy!" I replied timidly backing away a bit, but this only caused her to give a loud bark, just to remind me that if I ran, she would chase me. I turned to my only other form of defense: flattery "Pretty puppy!" she stopped growling and tilted her head in confusion, I found this odd, but I couldn't care less about that right now! "you're a very pretty girl!" I cooed forcing myself to reach out a hand to scratch her behind the ear. She bared her teeth at me, but then she just turned around and went back into the room from witch she came.

I stood their confused, and no more closer to solving the mystery!

* * *

Later that night Bakura and I were sitting in the living room watching the 5 o'clock news when Marik came home from school with a pretty blond girl slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes-well is a sack of potatoes tried to fight you!

"You didn't kidnap that girl did you?" Bakura asked shutting the book he was reading. "because that's a federal offence here too!"

"I did not kidnap her!" Marik said a little too defensively, flopping her down next to me on the couch.

"he's lying!" she replied loudly brushing the curls out of her face, she tried to stand up and Marik pushed her back down.

"sit down and shut up, Vampirdzhija!" Marik yelled. Bakura tenced up at the word "Vampirdzhija" I had no idea why, or even what that meant besides the fact it kind of sounded like vampire, and I was pretty sure it was her name.

"Marik, I need to talk to you in privet for a minute!" he hissed, grabbing Marik by the front of the shirt_. _"Ryou, make sure she doesn't leave!" and with that he left the room with Marik to argue in hushed tones.

The two of us sat in an awkward silence for a while, before I finally had to break it "So you're name is Vampirdzhija?"

She snapped her head in my direction "wait… what?-oh you don't- yes, that's my name, but please, call me Ray!" she replied.

"you don't like you're name?" I asked just to keep the conversation alive.

"eh, it's kind of hard to say, and it's Bulgarian for 'vampire hunter'!" she replied.

"You're Bulgarian?"

"I'm German," she muttered "but that's normally not what people dwell on when I say my name means vampire hunter!"

"what, you don't believe in that kind of stuff, do you? I mean it's obvious vampires don't exist!" I lectured. She just laughed. "I think their's a little more to the world than just that!" she said whimsically.

* * *

Whow, that took a lot longer than I thought it would! Sorry guys my laptop charger broke, and I got that fixed. And then my dog stepped on my laptop, and the scream turned completely white, and it took me for ever to fine the right replacement scream, and them I fixed the screen all by my self ^0^, but then I lost my charger, but it's all better now… just in time for assessment test season -_-

but don't forget! when you're cornered by a big dog, try flattering it!

and also I'm getting all my techical turms from a book called **The Book of Vampiers & Other Monsterouse Creatures **I got it from Sam's, so it might not be the best resores, but ya'know, what ever!

I see you in your nightmares

-Sha-Sha-Shadow


End file.
